Magic carpet

The squalls of the last few days have almost finished stripping the leaves from the trees and they've blanketed the garden rather like snow.

They also hide the detail and the devil is in the detail as I found out trying to cross the bridge in gumboots, step across the moss covered rocks in the creek and stay upright on the path down from the horse shed.

None of these tasks were accomplished without mishap, so it may be time to break out the rake and get composting. The rain has made them sodden, however, and less likely to blow around so I could get away with admiring the aesthetics of the autumn carpet for a few more days.

The sheep also appreciate the leaves although they see them more as a culinary bonus. The pet wethers Gimli and Elrond like chewing fallen leaves in particular although they prefer the deciduous European ones to the eucalypts. Seasonal produce and all that. Elrond actually clears whole areas of them. You would think they would make a soft, insulating bed for the sheep, but he inexplicably sits in the exposed muddy patch.